2024 World Junior Hockey Championship: Canada will look to three-peat with a very different roster

Team Canada will be aiming for a three-peat at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. Canada opens the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland before facing Sweden, Latvia and Germany to close out the preliminary round. With only one returning player from last year’s gold medal team, how will Canada stack up in 2024?

Team Canada 2024 World Junior schedule

Dec. 26 vs. Finland, 8:30 a.m. ET

Dec. 27 vs. Latvia, 1:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 29 vs. Sweden, 1:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 31 vs. Germany, 1:30 p.m. ET

All quarterfinals game will be played on January 2 and both semifinals will go on January 4. The tournament will conclude with the medal games on January 5.

Brand new team

Canada’s 2024 World Junior squad will be almost entirely brand new as 19-year-old Owen Beck is the only returning player. Beck wasn’t on the initial roster last year, but he was called up to join the team during the knockout stage because of a tournament-ending injury suffered by Colton Dach. Beck recorded one assist in three games as Canada went on to defeat Czechia in the gold medal game.

Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard and defenceman Kevin Korchinski as well as Columbus Blue Jackets centre Adam Fantilli and Coachella Valley Firebirds centre Shane Wright are eligible to return, but they will all stick with their pro clubs. Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson and Boston Bruins centre Matthew Poitras are both eligible to make their World Juniors debut, but they’ll also stay in the pro ranks.

Three NHL players were loaned to Canada for last year’s tournament and they each had a meaningful impact. Wright, who was playing for Seattle, was named team captain, L.A. Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke was a top-four staple on the blue line and Arizona Coyotes winger Dylan Guenther scored the golden goal in overtime.

This year one NHL player, Anaheim Ducks defenceman Tristan Luneau, has been loaned to Team Canada. Other players with NHL experience this season who are competing in the selection camp include Saskatoon Blades centre Fraser Minten, who played four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Wenatchee Wild centre Matthew Savoie, who played one game with the Buffalo Sabres.

2024 selection camp roster

Canada named 30 players to the selection camp roster which got underway Sunday in Oakville, Ontario. The 30 hopefuls took part in a light skate Sunday before practicing Monday ahead of two exhibition games against a team of university all-stars on Tuesday and Wednesday.

There will be plenty of players to keep an eye on as Canada trims the roster, including 17-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who is projected to be a top NHL draft pick in 2024, as well as 10 first-round picks from the 2022 and 2023 drafts.

FORWARDS

Owen Allard, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Denver Barkey, London (OHL)

Owen Beck, Peterborough (OHL)

Macklin Celebrini, Boston University (Hockey East)

Easton Cowan, London (OHL)

Nate Danielson, Brandon (WHL)

Jordan Dumais, Halifax (QMJHL)

Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw (WHL)

Conor Geekie, Wenatchee (WHL)

Paul Ludwinski, Kingston (OHL)

Fraser Minten, Saskatoon (WHL)

Carson Rehkopf, Kitchener (OHL)

Matthew Savoie, Wenatchee (WHL)

Markus Vidicek, Halifax (QMJHL)

Matthew Wood, University of Connecticut (Hockey East)

Brayden Yager, Moose Jaw (WHL)

DEFENSEMEN

Oliver Bonk, London (OHL)

Michael Buchinger, Guelph (OHL)

Jorian Donovan, Brantford (OHL)

Jake Furlong, Halifax (QMJHL)

Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Tristan Luneau, Gatineau (QMJHL)

Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw (WHL)

Tanner Molendyk, Saskatoon (WHL)

Ty Nelson, North Bay (OHL)

Noah Warren, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

GOALTENDERS

Domenic DiVincentiis, North Bay (OHL)

Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle (WHL)

Mathis Rousseau, Halifax (QMJHL)

Samuel St-Hilaire, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)